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Anyone into Bush craft?
- Thread starter jmjkd
- Start date
I do a little flint napping, amongst other things.
Bush craft is an Ancient Art, skills used during the time of hunter gathers. Indigenous people using primitive tools and weapons to hunt, fish protect and provide. Mountain Men learned them to live in the wilderness. Tracking, trapping, making weapons, it’s basically old knowledge that tells you today why you should not set up your North face tent in the spot you picked, or that plant that you are stepping on is high in protein to sustain you and it’s also great for gun shot wounds as well.
It's great stuff for SHTF, it gives you basic core knowledge.
It's great stuff for SHTF, it gives you basic core knowledge.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
It is bro, I have been learning it since 1988/89 and continue to learn. Bush craft is an integrated part of the survival portion of what we teach at IMDC.
If TSHTF and things really break down bush craft, navagation, tool/weapon making/ natural herbs and medicins/ stalking etc will all be a great addition to you modern day prepping.
If TSHTF and things really break down bush craft, navagation, tool/weapon making/ natural herbs and medicins/ stalking etc will all be a great addition to you modern day prepping.
What is IMDC?
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Yes, it's something I've done a bit of.
I've looked into shelter/fire/water & food gathering methods. I concentrate on things applicable to this geographic area such as local plants (plantain, chaga, groundnut, thistle, willow, cattail, etc) and other resources. I've found many techniques work in multiple places.
There are a lot of good sources of information including books, videos and even Youtube.
I'm still very much a student, but have conducted classes in friction fire and primitive traps.
Every once in awhile, there is a 'net get together of some kind to practice.
I've looked into shelter/fire/water & food gathering methods. I concentrate on things applicable to this geographic area such as local plants (plantain, chaga, groundnut, thistle, willow, cattail, etc) and other resources. I've found many techniques work in multiple places.
There are a lot of good sources of information including books, videos and even Youtube.
I'm still very much a student, but have conducted classes in friction fire and primitive traps.
Every once in awhile, there is a 'net get together of some kind to practice.
Stix that’s great glad to hear it, I think we will all be students of BC till were gone, that’s how vast bush craft is. I read post and comments from some regarding survival and TSHTF stuff, some ideas are sound and some so far off the mark because they don't adhere to the basic foundation of bush craft living. So some “think” something is this, when rally it’s that.
Last year a SHTF friend of mine during the ice storm had a hard time covering his generator with a tarp while it was running. He didn’t know any bush craft so he didn’t no proper knots and his ridge line kempt dropping and falling due to the heavy wet snow and ice.
I don’t think many would know the difference between a half hitch and a power cinch?
Last year a SHTF friend of mine during the ice storm had a hard time covering his generator with a tarp while it was running. He didn’t know any bush craft so he didn’t no proper knots and his ridge line kempt dropping and falling due to the heavy wet snow and ice.
I don’t think many would know the difference between a half hitch and a power cinch?
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
Not many folks even know bush craft exist? seriously guys if anyone wants some intro training in basic Bush craft or you want to add some old school to your new school thinking, shoot me an email or at least hook up with others who are into it??
jmaffei@123survive.com
jmaffei@123survive.com
I practice it, at least some of it. I try to make most of it relevant to Scouting..I really got enthusiastic when I got copies of Ray Mears' videos. With my Wetterlings axe and a Swedish Fire Steel I'm ready to take on the wilderness...LOL...
I just found a lady who may teach us (Scouts) mushrooming, too.
I'm looking forward to a few winter campouts this year, I hope we get some snow!
I really need to learn more about wild edibles, I've tried cat tail, acorns, fiddlehead ferns, and the usual. I've made cordage, and made a camp chair with just my axe and lashings.
My sons Cub Master has most of the Pack convinced that I taught "Survivorman" Les Stroud everything he knows... ;-)
I just found a lady who may teach us (Scouts) mushrooming, too.
I'm looking forward to a few winter campouts this year, I hope we get some snow!
I really need to learn more about wild edibles, I've tried cat tail, acorns, fiddlehead ferns, and the usual. I've made cordage, and made a camp chair with just my axe and lashings.
My sons Cub Master has most of the Pack convinced that I taught "Survivorman" Les Stroud everything he knows... ;-)
i had the chance to try fire starting with a bow and spindle this past weekend at the boyscout unversity of scouting at the lawrence vo tech. you need to use willow, cotton or bass wood. I also started a fire with flint and steel Ive done that before but the interesting thing i used a piece of fungus as the tinder. the fungus grows on birch trees and is black on the outside brown tan on the inside, with just a week spark it lit, with a little blowing the glow spread quick and was easy to start some jute into a ball of flame. almost as easy as a match.
I should of taken notes
he mentioned there is a large group in maine and that there are a couple of old school survival training places.
I should of taken notes
he mentioned there is a large group in maine and that there are a couple of old school survival training places.
Primitive Living Skills
heres a link i found for "primitive Living Skills" schools by state.
http://www.hollowtop.com/Schools_North_America.htm
heres a link i found for "primitive Living Skills" schools by state.
http://www.hollowtop.com/Schools_North_America.htm
Fixxah
NES Member
Jeremiah Johnson comes to mind but I remember watching histiry channel and there was this old timer living in the cabin he built with tools he built or some such thing. I think the cabin is a tourist attraction and a historical place.
Yo powerman glad to see you working your skills. The spindle and fire board need wood that is dense with "little water content" try cedar , your bearing block can be almost anything, rock, glass, antler, etc just make sure it’s oiled so it doesn’t produce friction. The fungas you used is called horseshoe fungus and is great for additional fuel. Also try pine pitch to get a hot fire. Their R a few places right in Mass to learn from.
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Sassafras and norway maple also work for friction kits. I've gotten a coal using a hand drill made of goldenrod, though only once. Mullein works for that also. Hand drill fireboards need to be thinner than those used for firebow.
It takes me about 15-20 minutes to make a bearing block from stone under ideal conditions. I use a piece of quartz to drill into a softer stone.
For cordage, try evening primrose, yucca or milkweed for strong cordage. I've used these with success. EP can be twined for quick piute deadfall cordage. I have a double flemish twisted piece of EP that I'm saving to try a firebow with to see how it holds up.
Though it's said to be good, I've never used dogbane.
There are many "tinder" fungi - Fomes fomentarius (http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5029052) is horseshoe fungus and inonotus obliquus (http://americanmushrooms.com/taxa/Inonotus_obliquus_01.htm) AKA chaga are two local ones. There are others that are called false tinder fungi. In truth, the names get mixed up all of the time.
Some fungi need to be processed into what's called "amadou" (shredded, pounded and boiled in ash or urine to improve their ability to catch a spark.) Chaga is fine as is and is also a medicinal. I believe Oetzi, the Ice man, carried Fomes.
What about glue? Pine pitch, gathered in lumps and boiled in water until it loses it's pine smell works for gluing points into arrow shafts. Spin it onto sticks and let it dry. It can be brittle alone, so you can add charcoal, fat/tallow or even deer droppings. Tim Lively used that last one as glue in his primitive knives.
It takes me about 15-20 minutes to make a bearing block from stone under ideal conditions. I use a piece of quartz to drill into a softer stone.
For cordage, try evening primrose, yucca or milkweed for strong cordage. I've used these with success. EP can be twined for quick piute deadfall cordage. I have a double flemish twisted piece of EP that I'm saving to try a firebow with to see how it holds up.
Though it's said to be good, I've never used dogbane.
There are many "tinder" fungi - Fomes fomentarius (http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5029052) is horseshoe fungus and inonotus obliquus (http://americanmushrooms.com/taxa/Inonotus_obliquus_01.htm) AKA chaga are two local ones. There are others that are called false tinder fungi. In truth, the names get mixed up all of the time.
Some fungi need to be processed into what's called "amadou" (shredded, pounded and boiled in ash or urine to improve their ability to catch a spark.) Chaga is fine as is and is also a medicinal. I believe Oetzi, the Ice man, carried Fomes.
What about glue? Pine pitch, gathered in lumps and boiled in water until it loses it's pine smell works for gluing points into arrow shafts. Spin it onto sticks and let it dry. It can be brittle alone, so you can add charcoal, fat/tallow or even deer droppings. Tim Lively used that last one as glue in his primitive knives.
Yo stix good points, milk weed is awesome for cordage also you can use your t-shirt in emergency, I have used cattails but it won’t be as strong as milkweed or dogbane. Do you roll or do you use the reverse twist?
btw I have been making pitch for a long time you don’t have to boil your pine pitch in water, just heat it up to liquid and strain into another can or whatever, I add charcoal, sometime dried, pounded grass with olive oil or beeswax. watch out the whole can doesn’t catch fire the stuff is wicked flammable. if done with the right mix it will not harden to fast and be easy to work with.
btw I have been making pitch for a long time you don’t have to boil your pine pitch in water, just heat it up to liquid and strain into another can or whatever, I add charcoal, sometime dried, pounded grass with olive oil or beeswax. watch out the whole can doesn’t catch fire the stuff is wicked flammable. if done with the right mix it will not harden to fast and be easy to work with.
Chaga is fine as is and is also a medicinal
jmjkd Chaga Yes that was the stuff. I guess you can make some good money on harvisting the suff for medicine.
Going to the primitive skills sckool in the maine link on the web site i had previously listed you get somevery good videos here:
http://www.primitiveskills.com/survival-skills-how.html
he does metion cedar is a good choice
Now all you guys talk about this plant and that, now i need to learn about plants.
jmjkd Chaga Yes that was the stuff. I guess you can make some good money on harvisting the suff for medicine.
Going to the primitive skills sckool in the maine link on the web site i had previously listed you get somevery good videos here:
http://www.primitiveskills.com/survival-skills-how.html
he does metion cedar is a good choice
Now all you guys talk about this plant and that, now i need to learn about plants.
